How To Be A Muggle
by kwiluvu
Summary: Blaise Zabini's Squib daughter is in need of help. Keira Granger likes to help people. And, well, if she just so happens to manage infuriating Blaise's git son in the process? She's not going to complain. At all.


_Dear Mr. Blaise Zabini,_

_My name is Keira Granger. _

"Draco." Blaise knitted his eyebrows together. The blonde responded with a noncommital noise, turning a page of the _Prophet. _The two were sitting at the Malfoys' dining room table, early morning sunshine filtering through the windows. Blaise's face was haggard; Norah was in an adjoining room with her therapists (both physical and mental) and all had been quiet thus far. He hoped that was a good sign and not silencing charms he'd forbidden them to use. Draco sighed when Blaise didn't continue, setting his paper down to look up.

"Yes, dear," he drawled mockingly. Blaise gave a tight smile. They'd become close friends in the five years he'd been married to Daphne Greengrass and that hadn't shattered apart when she'd left Blaise eight years earlier.

"Did Granger have an illegitimate daughter or something that kept her last name?" Draco's eyebrow rose high on his forehead before he relaxed and gave a chuckle.

"No, but I've heard that her parents adopted a magical child from a Muggle orphanage."

"Ah." He moved his eyes down to continue reading.

_Dear Mr. Blaise Zabini,_

_My name is Keira Granger. Due to the unfortunate fact that I attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry alongside your __git of a__ son, Kyle, I (and the entirety of the school) have become aware of the fact that your daughter is a Squib. I'm truly sorry for the unfortunate condition of your child-_

Blaise raised his wand to light the parchment on fire but stopped when Draco rolled his eyes.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not what you think." Blaise pursed his lips, reading on with a snort of reluctant laughter.

_I'm truly sorry for the unfortunate condition of your child- your son, that is. He's a right prat, you know, I think it might be a medical condition. Maybe you should volunteer him for one of those experimental healing magic things. Whatever happens can't leave him worse off than he is, right? Anyway, I'm allowing my personal feelings to get me off track._

_From what I understand, your daughter (my apologies for just saying 'your daughter'- I don't know her name) is a Squib born into a Pureblood family. Apparently Squibs are really bad things- like the opposite of 'Mione is what Rose said, but if your daughter is the opposite of my sister (you do know her, right? I'm going to assume you know her, since your son is cousins with Al's friend, that Malfoy boy, and Ron told Rose to beat him in every test) then that means that she couldn't help being born without magic any more than 'Mione could help being born with it. Why is she punished by others for that, then? It's not fair, not at all. _

_I'm not ambitious like 'Mione was, so I'm not going to start a group for Squib Rights, though I think 'Mione has it in the works. I do, however, want to offer my help. Your daughter, growing up in a magical family, isn't going to acquire the skills she needs to survive later in life when she settles down with a man (or woman- I've got to be really sensitive about that since Roxie's 'expanding her horizons') from the Muggle world- DON'T say she won't settle with a Muggle because from the reading I've been doing that's the most likely outcome. Also, don't say she won't settle because of the attack. Yes, I know about it and it isn't because of Harry or Ron blabbing, I promise. I'm enough of a 'stuffy Ravenclaw' that I read the paper front to back and I found the tiny little one-paragraph article in that rubbish new 'Auror Accomplishments' section of the_ Prophet._ Ron and Harry say they think that section is a load of shite and then 'Mione yells at them for using those kinds of words in front of us children. Tch, as if she doesn't use her share of them... And, really, sorry for being crude but if she does turn out to be a werewolf when she comes into her inheritance because of it, there are Muggles who know about the Wizarding world because of siblings and things. I'm sure it's not your ideal life for her, Mr. Zabini, but I think it'll be a good one nonetheless._

_I'm sorry, I'm getting off track again. This letter is supposed to be an offer to help teach your daughter about the Muggle world, not be full of childish ramblings. If you're questioning my motives, then you have every right to know both of them._

_1- If I hadn't been adopted by the Grangers and taught about the Wizarding world from a young age as I was, I would have floundered in much the same way that Harry did. I don't wish that on anyone and neither do Harry or 'Mione, which is why they both support me writing to you and offering this. Ron's a little on the fence but he's an idiot sometimes._

_2- According to the Git, he and his mother live separate from you and your daughter. Personally I think that's good for her, though it's not my place to decide. Though Kyle (you haven't the faintest how hard it is for me to write his name instead of 'git' or 'Zabini') doesn't live with you, I can't help hoping that he'd find out just so I could see the look on his face. That is my second motive, plain and simple. I want to see him __**squirm**__. _

_I hope all of my ramblings haven't put you off the idea; I truly want to help your daughter. Take as long as you need to consider but please do try to decide before the end of the school year in a couple of months. 'Mione has said (reluctantly, after being cajoled by Mum and Da) that if I'd like to take this up year-round instead of just the summers then she'll find me a tutor. I told her I'd think on it, but really I wanted to leave that up to you if you agreed to this arrangement at all as I don't mind either way (I'd prefer full-year, but I won't press)._

_Anxiously awaiting your reply,_

_Keira Granger_

_First Year_

_Ravenclaw_

Blaise slumped back in his chair and wiped a hand down his face, letting out an incredulous laugh and shaking his head.

"Draco, read this and tell me whether I'm dreaming or not." Draco raised a brow but took the letter anyway, face slipping into an emotionless mask. When he was finished he carefully slid the letter back over the table.

"She's very... Open," Draco observed. "And very blunt." Blaise nodded, eyes skimming the words again absently. "This is what you've been looking for."

"I know. It seems too good to be true."

"Maybe it is." Blaise glared in response to that, but Draco only shrugged. "Blaise, you know there have been rumors of a new batch of Death Eaters-"

"Which neither of us or Astoria are involved in, so there isn't much issue. Do you really think the Aurors would enlist an _eleven year old _to help with an investigation?"

"Well..."

"The answer is no. They wouldn't, and you shouldn't think they would." Blaise sighed and shook his head. "Honestly, Draco." The sound of a door opening and feet pattering across the floor made Blaise turn around with a big smile, enveloping his daughter in a bear hug. After he'd paid the therapists and a house elf showed them out, he settled back in his chair and placed Norah on his knee.

"Norah," he said gravely, "I received a letter today that I'd like you to read." She nodded and peered curiously at the parchment, getting up on her elbows on the table to read it. She let out a few muffled giggles and Blaise watched her sadly. The entire left side of her head- ear, chin, cheek, even part of her neck- had been mauled in the attack-

_No. Not attack. Not even ambush. Murder attempt._

When Daphne had told Blaise she'd been wrong and wanted to get to know Norah he'd been ecstatic and housed her in his own home. Kyle had been away at Hogwarts, still was now; Daphne, for all intents and purposes, had seemed sincere. At least, had seemed sincere until a week later when she'd sneaked Norah out on the night of the full moon and left her in the forest to be eaten by a werewolf she had kidnapped, Confunded and put there two days earlier. Blaise had awoken the next morning, becoming hysterical when he could find neither his daughter or his ex-wife and summoned the Aurors. It had been a three-hour search; the Aurors were surprised she hadn't bled out. The werewolf himself was found murdered and Norah had been Obliviated of who had brought her there, but Blaise _knew. _It was dismissed as an unsolved case only a week later and Blaise _knew_ about that, too. He'd been a Slytherin in the war. He deserved it. Those were the justifications the Aurors gave themselves. It was okay for a little girl to be wronged and not brought justice because he'd been 'bad'.

Blaise had never hated Voldemort more than he had in that moment. Yes, magic had taken care of the marks on her neck, but the ones across her left eye and nose remained. It was a miracle she hadn't lost either, the Healers had said.

"Daddy," Norah said happily, looking up at him with shining eyes as she had so very few times since her mother's betrayal, "I think this is a really good idea! And she sounds really nice. It'd be aces if Aunt Tori and I had another girl around all the time!" She smiled brightly and Blaise was set in his decision. He kissed the top of her head and smiled before looking up and giving a sly grin.

"Hey, Draco? How do you feel about tutoring?"


End file.
